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Bob Frier of FOX 35 interviews Keith Flaugh about Florida’s new Textbook law that encourages parents and all residents of each county to review the instructional materials used in our public schools. Many of these materials are riddled with political and religious indoctrination, revisionist history, distortion of our founding values and pornography that will shock you. The new law is…

FLCA editorial comment: It is really sad how many elected officials have been brainwashed into believing we are a Democracy rather than a Constitutional Republic. We we let them get away with this though unwitting compliance, that 50% plus 1 rules and we give up our individual rights to mob rule.

Editorial Comment. FLCA are huge supporters of Hillsdale College, their online courses and K-12 Charter School Certification Program. We urge you to participate in their on-line courses and investigate their K-12 Charter School Certification program for your community. The principles of freedom with responsibility will preserve our great nation for current and future generations! Fellow American, Have you ever wondered…

A University of Georgia professor has adopted a “stress reduction policy” that will allow students to select their own grades if they “feel unduly stressed” by the ones they earned. Similarly, students who feel stressed by “group dynamics” are allowed to walk away from their groups without explanation, and will only be graded on “non-group work.” The professor acknowledges that…

By Kerry McDonald via FEE.org Today is Milton Friedman’s birthday. He was the 1976 Nobel-prize winning economist who promoted free-market ideals and limited government. The Economist called him “the most influential economist of the second half of the 20th century… possibly of all of it.” He died in 2006, but one of his lasting legacies is EdChoice, formerly the Friedman Foundation for Educational…

New Florida Law Lets Residents Challenge School Textbooks by Greg Allen, NPR A new Florida state law allows parents, and any residents, challenge the use of textbooks and instructional materials they find objectionable via an independent hearing. Keith Flaugh is a retired IBM executive living in Naples, Fla., and a man with a mission. He describes it as “getting the…

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Senator Dorothy Hukill (R-Port Orange) and Senator Travis Hutson (R-St. Augustine) have requested a study of the controversial district cost differential (DCD) used in Florida’s K-12 education funding formula. The DCD is used to incorporate cost of living differences between districts to offset personnel costs, which are some of the largest budget items school districts must…

By Joe Kent at FEE.org Steve Jobs said in a 1995 interview, “The unions are the worst thing that ever happened in education.” Jobs spoke with Computerworld’s Daniel Morrow in a 1995 interview, which covered a wide range of topics, but frequently delved into Jobs’s views on the American education system. As he said, “I’d like the people teaching my…

By Rich Perry, Florida Politics FLCA Editorial comment: This law CS/HB 989 has nothing to do with “science deniers”. It does have everything to do with the political and religious indoctrination, revisionist history/founding values and the age in-appropriate pornography in our public school instructional materials. Check out the facts in this Objectionable Materials Report. Bill Nelson took to the floor of…

Article by Madison Fantozzi of the Ledger A new law requiring school districts to hear complaints from residents about instructional materials in schools has received backlash in a handful of counties across the state, but the Polk County School District expects a smooth transition coming into compliance with the regulations. BARTOW — A new law requiring school districts to hear complaints…

Invitation to make a difference- We proved it when Gov. Scott signed our HB989. But this is only the beginning! This is your invitation to get certified in k-12 Textbook adoption assessment hosted by Truth in Textbooks ( previously Truth in Texas Textbooks). Sign up for this certification on-line training starting August 1, 2017. To be accepted, YOU must complete…

The Newman Report by Alex Newman freedomproject.com/the-newman-report/253-charter-school-rejects-common-core-and-ranks-1 Teaching phonics is crucial to teaching reading when dealing with a phonetic writing system such as the one used in the English language. Memorizing so-called “sight words,” by contrast, is mental poison, or Thalidomide for the brain as my friend and colleague Dr. Sam Blumenfeld used to say. As if more evidence was…

Second Amendment Supporters: Our kids are being indoctrinated in our public schools, and being taught that our 2nd Amendment right to self-defense is outdated. They are being taught to support gun control and depend on government to protect them. Well here’s some good news: we have received word that Governor Scott signed our CS/HB 989 Instructional Materials bill into law on Monday, June 26th! Even if you don’t have children in school, CS/HB 989 gives you the legal right to engage your school boards to clean up the textbooks and get rid of the anti-2nd amendment indoctrination.

On June 12, NDN published Beth Povlow’s commentary “Collier textbook opposition, a curious agenda”. Her commentary contained many errors, distortions, half-truths and omissions – just like the textbooks she defends. Unfortunately, NDN decided not to publish our rebuttal to Ms. Povlow’s distorted and factually-inaccurate commentary. Was this collusion? You decide.

Dr. Leonard Sax is known for making unusual statements regarding raising children. The reason his comments are so unusual? They’re simple common sense, a trait often lacking in modern culture. Dr. Sax’s latest (non-politically correct) statements were made in an interview with C.M. Rubin for the Huffington Post when he raised questions about the intense drug regimen American kids are subjected to, often under the guise of…

Forwarding Christian Family Coalition posting FLORIDA- On Friday, June 9th Governor Scott signed SB-436, the Florida Student and School Personnel Religious Liberties Act (FSASPRLA), a bill to prohibit discrimination against students, school personnel and parents based on their religious viewpoint or expression. For example, teachers will now be able to pray with students before and/or after school in settings such…

Florida Action Report! Gov. Rick Scott has SIGNED SB-128 & SB-1052 DATE: June 10, 2017 TO: USF & NRA Members and Friends FROM: Marion P. Hammer USF Executive Director NRA Past President Early yesterday evening, Friday, June 9th, Governor Rick Scott SIGNED INTO LAW the two critically important self-defense bills we have been urging him to sign. One, SB-128 Burden of Proof…

These video clips from the Collier County Public Schools "Special Hearing" meeting on June 1, 2017 show clearly that CCPS is NOT interested in community and parental input, nor are they interested in following Florida law. Clip 1 Chairman Terry violates 1st amendment Freedom of speech rights of Collier citizens--Changes rules to “limit public comment only to the 6 objectionable...

www.FloridaCitizensAlliance.com For Immediate Release, May 31, 2017: Florida Citizens Alliance joins lawsuit to stop the political indoctrination of Collier students. Florida Citizens Alliance has decided, “Enough is enough!” We are now an active participant along with Collier parents in a lawsuit for an emergency injunction to stop this “flawed” textbook adoption process. This lawsuit was filed today, May 31st ,…

Anti-American Agenda Pushed in Florida Schools by Alex Newman Top officials with the Collier County School District in Florida are being accused by local parents, activists, and lawyers of using shady tactics to push an extreme anti-American agenda and even racism and bigotry into local schools. From lawlessly packing textbook-selection committees with extreme activists, to selecting biased textbooks that celebrate…

HB 7069 has become a controversial bill. During the legislative session many individual bills were proposed and working their way thru the committee process. HB 7069 is what they call a “conforming bill and it essentially swept up many of piece parts of the individual bills and made it a part of the overall budget bill that was passed and…

President Donald Trump’s full education budget proposal for fiscal 2018 would make notable cuts to the U.S. Department of Education, and leverage existing programs for disadvantaged students and K-12 innovation to promote school choice, the Washington Post reported Wednesday. Trump’s full education funding blueprint would cut $9.2 billion, or 13.6 percent, from the Education Department’s current $68 billion budget, said the report,…

Last month, the House of Representatives fulfilled a campaign promise and passed legislation to get the Department of Veterans Affairs out the disarmament business. For more than a decade, the VA has implemented a program to actively disarm American military veterans. These men and women were trusted to take up arms to defend the United States but the minute they…

This Senate Appropriations Committee hearing is our bill’s last stop before it goes to the full Senate. It must be approved by this committee to advance for a full Senate vote. You are making a HUGE impact on the progress of these bills!

Reuters: Florida lawmakers pass bill making it easier to challenge textbooks By Bernie Woodall Reuters The Florida Senate on Friday narrowly passed a measure that would allow more people to object to textbooks and classroom materials used in public schools, a move opponents warn could result in censorship of controversial topics. The bill lets any resident seek a hearing to have…

Constitution Revision Commission–Public Hearings The CRC will be traveling the State of Florida to listen to input from Floridians about potential changes to the Florida Constitution. All interested persons are invited to attend CRC public hearings and speak to Commissioners about their ideas for revising the Florida Constitution. If you’d like to speak before the CRC at a public hearing,…

Florida residents who view state-approved school textbooks as “too liberal” and some books in school libraries as inappropriate have persuaded state lawmakers to push legislation that would make it easier for them to object to classroom materials they don’t like. “Today, parents are purposely blocked from being involved in their children’s education,” said Hamilton Boone, a Brevard County father who…

Thursday afternoon, April 20th, 2017 — the Florida Senate Appropriations Committee passed CS/SB 1210 unanimously, 16-0! Now the bill moves on for a full Senate vote. A short while later the Florida House of Representatives passed CS/HB 989 with a very strong positive vote: YEAS 94, NAYS 25!

There is a great lesson here that the students at Little Rock High School will never forget. I would presume also that most students would never have given this a thought. In September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a History teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock , did something not to be forgotten….

“Lovable little revolutionaries” CN Paul Bois The once prestigious MIT has taken the old adage “get ’em while they’re young” heart have published a colorful little children’s book titled Communism for Kids that says absolutely nothing about the millions of people that wicked ideology murdered in cold blood. Though MIT Press, the publishing house, typically deals in matters in matters of art, philosophy, and…

Advocates for big government often equate expanding government with concern for the poor. But reality speaks to the contrary: Expanding government often has very harmful effects on the poor. This reality is precisely what is addressed in a forthcoming special report from The Heritage Foundation, “Big Government Policies That Hurt the Poor and How to Address Them.” [Full Article] fee.org/articles/23-ways-big-government-is-hurting-the-poor/

The FLCA Instructional Materials bill that is being championed by FL House Representative Byron Donalds just passed its 2nd of 3 committee referrals in the FL House! Only one more before it goes to the House floor!

Follow-Up Alert! SB 926 Testing Bill Back in Committee After Your Great Work Tabled It! Please email and/or call the Senate Education Committee first thing Monday morning (4/3) & support the 4 amendments below & oppose 1 (For details, please see our amendment fact sheet). It is very important that some of these amendments pass, otherwise this bill will harm students,…

This is the outcome from yesterday’s hearing. Senators’ aides told us they were flooded with calls. YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE — AGAIN!! You can watch the hearings for our bills on the following videos: House PCS for 989* starts at 1:59:20 Senate SB 1210 starts at 0:32:20 >>> IMPORTANT <<< Stay tuned and engaged. YOU hit a home run,…

_Post written by C. Hamilton Boone at March 19, 2017 7:57 pm_________________ Parents ROCK Brevard, (Right Of Choice for Kids) is a volunteer group consisting of parents, grandparents, relatives and citizens. ROCK’s focus is having parent centered decisions once again key in all educational issues, especially teaching materials and policies. Many parents and citizens are exasperated by many aspects of their school district…

Written by Alex Newman, The New American Despite legal prohibitions on providing obscene material to minors, public schools in Florida have been using apparently illegal materials including stories for “literature” involving prostitution, lesbianism, gang rape, marital infidelity, masturbation, masochism, abortion, and more. In Florida school districts where materials were examined by parents and activists, there were more than 60 books with hard or soft…

March 17, 2017 by Karen R. Effrem, MD In last week’s column, I mentioned four things that President Donald Trump could do to keep his education promises. One had to do with the budget: 3.) Cut the Federal Education Budget Considering that there are so many invasive, ineffective, expensive, over-reaching, privacy-robbing federal education programs that include related social emotional standards tied to Common Core,…

Have you ever wondered what lobbyists do behind closed doors: now we know! Letter: Ask legislators to limit Florida lobbyists Dennis McDonald Flagler County FL Dear Historic City News editor: This year our new Speaker of the Florida House Richard Corcoran brought in on his own initiative, the ability for Floridians to gain eye witness to the inner sanctum…

Key Florida Curriculum Bill Deserves Senate Support By Bill Korach This morning I spoke with Keith Flaugh of Florida Citizens Alliance who is supporting House bill HB 989 and its companion in the Senate SB 1210 are now working their way through the legislative process. The Florida Citizens’ Alliance (FLCA) is a coalition of citizens and grassroots groups working together through education,…

By Ryan Dailey, Tallahassee Democrat A bill making its way through the Legislature may soon allow any taxpayer to object to instructional materials in Florida public schools. But some Leon County educators say the legislation is unnecessary. House Bill 989 is being championed by Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican from Naples, and backed by activists opposed to teachings on…

March 8th by Marion Hammer Florida Report: Sen. Anitere Flores Turns on Law-abiding Gun Owners SB-646 Open Carry and SB-616 Courthouse Carry by Sen. Greg Steube were both scheduled to be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, between 4:00-6:00pm. However, when SB-616, the first of the two bills came up, committee member Sen. Anitere Flores…

The title has no relevance to the companion bills filled in the FL House and Senate for Instructional Materials bills HB989 and SB1210: “Teaching of evolution, climate change at stake in Byron Donalds’ bill” but here it is for you to decide! It’s been more than three years since a school board meeting in Volusia County was cancelled after a…

By Tampa Bay Times TALLAHASSEE — A complicated and controversial measure to change how Florida’s 4,300 public schools get taxpayer money for construction and maintenance projects is limping through the Florida Senate, advancing even as lawmakers agree it needs a lot more work before it might become law. Senators behind the measure (SB 376) envision the final bill would…

By Joseph Greenlee, The Federalist Society In Kolbe v. Hogan, the Fourth Circuit, sitting en banc, became the first Federal Circuit Court to hold that so-called “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines” are not protected by the Second Amendment. But the court’s decision resulted from a misinterpretation of Supreme Court precedent. [Full Article]

For Immediate Release: 2017 Instructional Materials companion bills filed in the Florida House and Senate. WHAT: SB 1210 and HB 989 companion bills were filed last week by Sen. Tom Lee and Rep. Byron Donalds. These are “fixit” companion bills to a very “well-intentioned” Senate Bill passed into law in 2014, but not implemented by a single school district. …

Florida Citizens Alliance (FLCA) and many of you have been working hard for past 18 months on bills for Florida K-12 Instructional Materials. Your hard work has paid off: companion bills have been filed in the House and Senate! Take action to help ensure passage!

A Gamble Helped Black Students Thrive On the similarities between Betsy DeVos and another education philanthropist. By WILLIAM MATTOX Feb. 14, 2017 6:46 p.m. ET Tallahassee, Fla. Something curious happened at a Black History Month program held at Florida A&M University last week. (full article)

Editorial Comment: whether you support the DeVos appointment or not, this is a worthwhile read. Betsy DeVos has been confirmed as Secretary of Education, but just barely. In the course of the hearings, outrageous claims were made about her views. Most originated from the public school industry itself, which is clinging to old forms for dear life. The…

In recent years, a number of Americans have been awakening to the realization that today’s children are not receiving a high-quality education. The nation’s test scores in everything from reading to science are evidence of that. But while many Americans now recognize what a good education is not, many are unsure exactly what it is. [Full Article]

School choice that is true competition for parents and their children is fantastic. There are several pitfalls to avoid. Point to ponder:The Feds have defined k-12 education as National Higher Standards, the monopolist Pearson curriculum, high stakes testing and student profiling from pre-k thru 4 years into the work force. It certainly appears they intend for this to be implemented regardless…

Today begins the Jan 23-26 Committee week in advance of the March 7th, 2017 60-day Florida Legislative Session. More supporters will join us on the 24th and 25th. Wish us success. Our mission is advocate for restoring local control in K-12 Education and preserving your 2nd Amendment rights.– both State Sovereignty Initiatives. Tomorrow and Wednesday we have over 20 individual…

The Gulen Movement: Turkey’s Islamic Supremacist Cult and Its Contributions to the Civilization Jihad by Christopher Holton and Clare Lopez The Authors Book You Tube Video This is a very interesting read. Florida already has at least 10 K-12 Charter schools sponsored and funded by the Gulen Movement.

Fortune magazine has no idea what capitalism means, even though it’s at the heart of why huge majorities of Americans distrust big business. Fortune has put together a Common Core article package that headlines its New Year’s Day issue. They clearly spent a lot of time on it. Too bad, then, that after all that reporting they, like their CEO and philanthropist interview…

Dear supporter of the US Constitution: I don’t know if you are aware of an important Constitutional issue in Kansas, but this is a very horrible Second Amendment attack by the federal government on a veteran and a tyrannical attack on the 10th Amendment and the State of Kansas. If the feds get away with this, no State will…

Taxpayers will keep paying for lobbyists in Tallahassee, despite House speaker, who calls it a ‘disgrace’ by Tampa Bay Times Now at least Florida lobbyists receiving millions of $$ of our taxpayer money will be exposed! [Full Article]

Please forward to your FL Legislators Dear Legislator Here are a few points to share with other legislators. What is more dangerous: a gun or a car? Why would you treat them differently? Did you know that more crimes are committed by police than by concealed weapon permit holders? Did you know that virtually all mass shootings occur in “gun-free”…

January 9-11 thirteen (13) activists with Florida Citizens Alliance (9 different counties) spent 2 days in the FL Capitol fighting for our children and rights to protect both their futures and their lives. We met individually with 43 House and Senate Legislators. For this first trip we had a laser focus on all k-12 Education Committee members and 20+ 2nd…

Florida Citizens Alliance advance team arrives in Tallahassee. Tomorrow and Wednesday we will be joined by 11 more activists and will meet individually with 42 Fl Legislators. We will be advocating for k-12 local control in education and protecting our 2nd Amendment! Wish us luck!

Over the past decade, the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment, PISA, has become the world’s premier yardstick for evaluating the quality, equity and efficiency of school systems. By identifying the characteristics of high-performing education systems, PISA allows governments and educators to identify effective policies that they can then adapt to their local contexts. The PISA 2015 survey focused on…

By Lewis Wagoner: Ask yourself 3 questions and then read this terrific article Question 1: Do you have the RIGHT to protect your life or your family’s life when threatened with deadly force? Question 2: Where does this Right come from? Question 3: Do you have the RIGHT to take my right of self-defense away?

Tuesday and Wednesday of this week , FLCA had a team in Tallahassee to meet with Key Senators to sponsor K-12 Restore Local Control Instruction Material Bill, proposed Comprehensive Education Reform Bill and a 2nd Amendment Preservation bill. Our advance team met with several senators and aides this week including Senator Debbie Mayfield, Senator Dennis Baxley, and senior aides for Senator Tom…

READ this companion report to the updated 50-State Comparison: Civic Education Policies provides an overview of state legislation related to civic education. Then Ask yourself ” So why is this happening??”

Betsy & Jeb’s High Standards Snake Oil Sale December 2, 2016 By Dr. Karen Effrem President-elect Donald Trump has selected Michigan billionaire; Republican mega-donor, and school choice advocate Betsy DeVos as his Secretary of Education. The corporate, big government Republican establishment, such as Jeb Bush, his Foundation for Excellence in Education (FEE), Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, as well as groups that have…

In Oregon, at a Walmart parking lot, a woman yelled that a thief was stealing her bike. Robert, a real-life cowboy, happened to be nearby and he sprang into action. www.youtube.com/embed/ dsq_jZiB1_U Editorial comment: Many times it is up to just an everyday citizen to act! What can you do to save our kids from the indoctrination they are…

THESE NUMBERS SHOULD SHUT UP LIBERALS ABOUT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE ONCE AND FOR ALL November 30, 2016 by Michele Hickford The keening and caterwauling we’ve been treated to by the left since Hillary Clinton’s defeat has been monumental. Most entertaining has been the snowflake retreat to “safe spaces” with puppies and coloring books to assuage their anguish. Less entertaining were…

On Monday, the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a paper on American self-defense law so fundamentally flawed that it is hard to view its publication as anything other than an act of propaganda. The paper’s title describes its purported purpose: “Evaluating the Impact of Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ Self-defense Law on Homicide and Suicide by Firearm”…

We must wake up and realize our liberty is being sacrificed via the indoctrination of our children… This is how 18-25 year olds voted in the 2016 election. Young Americans have been indoctrinated by the Left in schools, universities and by the media. (Image source: Prager University) It has been said that “Freedom is never more than one generation away from...

Listen carefully to Speaker Corcoran– his aim is to clean-up the swamp in Tallahassee. He also makes some very strong and insightful comments on K-12 education. Several days ago we posted the Speaker’s Press Release on the New House Rules bold and transformative Ethics and Lobbying reforms This press conference focuses heavily on the new Rules. youtu.be/Wt15axkeMoE Editorial Comment:…

Here is an excellent lesson on this day of Thanksgiving from the Tenth Amendment Center “The General Welfare Clause is not about writing checks” In response to Monday’s email, I was told that it doesn’t matter if the 4th Amendment doesn’t allow warrantless spying on everyone. And here’s why (supposedly): “They can do whatever is necessary, including all the spying, to…

SENATOR JOE NEGRON UNANIMOUSLY ELECTED SENATE PRESIDENT Press Release that include Senator Negron’s priorities for his 2 year term of office as Florida’s 87th Senate President [Read Full Pres Release here] Editorial comment: We look forward to working with Senator Negron and his leadership team. One of his 4 priorities is achieving World Class Higher Education here in Florida. We…

KrisAnne Hall (Constitutional Attorney, Author, Speaker, Radio Host) made two appearances in Naples, FL recently, and we were fortunate enough to procure a video recording of each presentation (videos embedded below). Wisdom and truth all in one amazing package! Everyone who has heard KrisAnne before knows what an exciting and inspiring educator she is! She truly brings the words of our…

The battle is just beginning. The Trump Election is a plus, but the war to take away your 2nd Amendment rights is FAR< FAR from over. Here is a brief synopsis of the outcome of tighter gun control measures that appeared as ballot initiatives in 4 states – Nevada, CA, Maine and Washington State. California’s outcome is “shocking” and one…

SPEAKER-DESIGNATE, RICHARD CORCORAN, PROPOSES BOLD AND TRANSFORMATIVE ETHICS AND LOBBYING REFORMS Unprecedented Level of Openness and Transparency – From the Budget Process to Lobbying – Proposed in the Florida House Tallahassee, FL – Speaker-designate of the Florida House Richard Corcoran released the following statement upon introduction of the 2016 – 2018 proposed House Rules. “It is time that government embodies…

Editorial Comment: The real work is just beginning . There is NO Magic Bullet and the real key is the states reclaiming their “State Sovereignty” to put the Feds back on Constitutional Foundational Principles.We have to stop allowing the feds to overreach their Constitutional Boundaries or we just trade one tyrant for another. AMERICAN UPRISING:Everything is about to change. By…

Call to action for local County Education Watch dog teams. This is an updated summary by Karen Effrem of issues and false claims for Every Child Succeeds Act, Pre-School Development Grants and the concerns with Social Emotional Learning Standards, Assessments and Programs.

Editorial Comment by Greg Harper, Collier Salt and Light Council “Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and whom it is aimed.” Joseph Stalin The progressives (collectivists) have understood and applied this principle for decades. They have been indoctrinating through public schools and institutions of higher learning for years with great success I…

The FBI’s background check system for gun sales processed more than 2.3 million checks in October, setting an all-time record for the month. It’s a healthy sign! It means not all Americans are clueless about the growing dangers of our own government with respect to individual rights and historic Constitutional freedoms. Gun ownership is also a literal check on the…

But this is HUGE! “A victory for “the people” today in the Bundy trial over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation. All seven were acquitted and found not guilty on ALL charges. But, Judge Anna Brown denied the release of Ammon and Ryan Bundy. Ammon Bundy’s attorney Marcus Mumford was tackled to the floor and tased in court after arguing…

Source: Western Journalism by Scott Mason October 21, 2016 at 10:59am A federal judge has stopped President Obama’s policy forcing public schools to allow students claiming to be transgender into bathrooms that do not correspond with the gender on their birth certificates. U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor rejected the Obama administration’s request to lift an injunction against the Department of Education’s transgender…

By Michael Filozof The law of averages predicts that at some time in the future, perhaps as soon as 2017, the Democratic Party will once again control the White House and majorities in both houses of Congress. When that happens, the next Democratic president — be it Hillary Clinton or someone else — will sign into law a sweeping, foreign-style gun…

Editorial Comment: After extensive inspection we have found that what exists in one school district is most often in all FL school districts because they all buy from the same source: monopolist Pearson PLC, a British company that now owns over 80% of all K-12 instructionial material delivery in the US. Here is our detailed findings. Kudos to Deborah Z….

Recently Martin County School Board (4:1) voted to purchase this AP History book despite full knowledge of its bias and objectionable content. Here is a link to a fantastic assessment done by local Martin County Activists What is your school board doing? Start a Watch Dog group in our county and share examples with concerned activists across the state. We…

From certain perspectives, the French higher education system would seem to be doing great. There are numerous prestigious schools, thousands of students attend them, and the government has spent millions upon millions of euros since the 1980s in subsidizing both students and universities. But looks are deceiving. In fact, the number of students failing to pass their first year is…

Check out this video and then register for the event nearest you! Your RSVP is really important- several of these events are almost full. tinyurl.com/Sheriff-Mack-supporting-CVA Remember the Brady Bill and the Supreme Court Decision to overturn it? Sheriff Richard led the charge to defeat it and won. Sheriff Mack, the founder of the County Sheriffs and Police Officer’s…

Mark your calendar for the event nearest you! Remember the Brady Bill and the Supreme Court Decision to overturn it? Sheriff Richard led the charge to defeat it and won. Sheriff Mack, who is the founder of the County Sheriffs and Police Officer’s Association, 4 stop Florida tour hosted by Concerned Veterans of America. The theme is honoring our Law Enforcement…

RED MARBLES I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas.. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the…

Posted from Dr Karen Effrem’s Florida Stop Common Core website Third Grade Retention Lawsuit – The judge ruled on the lawsuit we mentioned in our last newsletter. The Florida Department of Education and six counties were sharply criticized for not properly implementing the law. Judge Karen Gievers upheld that students without reading deficiency could not be held back solely for…

A partial victory but “The Saga” continues– when will the STATE including the courts figure out that parents rights TRUMP the Statists—no pun intended. Judge blasts state, local schools in 3rd-grade retention case A Judge Friday sharply criticized state and Central Florida school leaders for failing to follow the law when they barred from fourth grade some youngsters who’d refused…

By BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, August 22, 2016……….A state judge is weighing a decision that could shake Florida’s education-accountability system following a marathon hearing Monday in Tallahassee. After nearly nine hours of testimony and arguments, Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers wrapped up a hearing on state and local policies for allowing students to…

Naples Daily News Brent Batten: Campaign finance class in session It can be difficult to drum up interest in school board races. Two years ago, for example, about 18 percent of eligible voters participated in votes for three board seats. But this year, with two more seats coming open, interest is at an unprecedented level. It is, at least, if…

The parents, part of the “opt out” movement opposed to high-stakes testing, are furious. They are convinced school districts are not following state law and are instead retaliating against families who refused to take part in the Florida Standards Assessments. They did so as an act of civil disobedience to protest what they view as the state’s over-reliance on an…

Reposted August 9th: July 18th Sandra Stotsky, responsible for the “Massachusetts Miracle” leading the state of MA to be number one in most Nationally normed test results, was the featured speaker at a “From Collier to College” Seminar for parents, teachers, School Board and administrators. She also spent most of the last two days meeting with Lee County Superintendent Greg…

Scary!! PARENTS MUST WATCH!!! ~~Did you give birth to your children to have them become “capital of the state?” When you want to know how invasive Common Core teaching is, take a listen. This testing as you will see is targeted to “Collapse their [a child’s] cognitive framework.” It’s not an English course anymore, it’s become a philosophy course. It’s…

Today the U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-3 ruling blocked the federal court of appeals decision on the so-called transgender bathroom decision. In G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the federal law known as Title IX should be interpreted to include “gender identity” and thus that court ruled that a girl who…

“Rebranding” is exactly how state departments and boards of education are dealing with Common Core in the face of strong parent and teacher opposition to the federally backed standards. By changing the names of the standards or tests that measure such standards, but keeping the standards aligned with Common Core, policymakers have duped many unsuspecting stakeholders into believing their concerns…

The average full-time college student spends only 2.76 hours per day on all education-related activities. This helps explain why most full-time students today do not graduate in four years and rack up increasingly high loan debt during their extended enrollment. Taxpayers, who are increasingly on the hook for borrower defaults and loan forgiveness programs, deserve to know what their tax dollars subsidize….

At a time when the priorities in K-12 education have skewed towards STEM courses and academic achievement scores, two new papers from Pioneer Institute highlight how teaching character education in schools can benefit students even beyond the classroom, but can be challenging to implement effectively. (Full Article)

First, the public schools in those days — I attended high school between 1957 and 1961 — were pretty much local in their management, control, and operation. No doubt they had to adhere to some state guidelines, yet they were largely free to provide the kind of schooling that their local “customers” found to be valuable (including a great deal…

The Founding Fathers Did Know About Repeating Rifles Before the Bill of Rights Was Drafted Gun control advocates often claim that the Founding Fathers couldn’t have conceived of repeating rifles when they drafted the Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights. The history of Joseph Belton, an inventor and gunsmith from Philadelphia, and his correspondence with the Continental Congress proves otherwise. [Full Article]

Common Core Test Consortia Down By 62 Percent “They did not reach out to parents, teachers and state lawmakers,” Shane Vander Hart notes at Truth in American Education. “This was done intentionally however because there is no way they would have gotten as many states to sign on with the standards and assessment consortia if they went about adoption in…

School districts in the Washington area and across the country are adopting grading practices that make it more difficult for students to flunk classes, that give students opportunities to retake exams or turn in late work, and that discourage or prohibit teachers from giving out zeroes. The policies have stirred debates about the purpose of issuing academic grades and whether…

Banning “Assault Weapons” Will Not Save Lives Last weekend, America regrettably witnessed one of the deadliest mass shootings in the country’s history at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in which 49 people were murdered and over 50 injured. The atrocity was carried out by a fanatic who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, using a civilian semi-automatic rifle, the Sig…

Does handwriting matter? Not very much, according to many educators. The Common Core standards, which have been adopted in most states, call for teaching legible writing, but only in kindergarten and first grade. After that, the emphasis quickly shifts to proficiency on the keyboard. But psychologists and neuroscientists say it is far too soon to declare handwriting a relic of…

Last summer, George Washington University announced that it would no longer require students to submit their SAT or ACT scores as incoming freshmen. This move was made because the university “had concerns that students who could be successful at GW felt discouraged from applying if their scores were not as strong as their high school performance.” (Full Article)

Every so often, the issue of grade inflation makes the headlines, and we are reminded that grades are being debased continuously. That happened in late March when the two academics who have most assiduously studied grade inflation — Stuart Rojstaczer and Christopher Healy — provided fresh evidence on their site GradeInflation.com that grade inflation continues. The authors state, “After 30…

A recent survey from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute shows teachers have varied feelings about Common Core math. According to the survey, a whopping 85 percent of teachers surveyed agree that parents don’t understand the new way math is being taught, so the reinforcement of learning math in the home is declining. In addition, findings from the survey include that just…

FEE (Foundation for Economic Education) presents the Essential series, five free ebooks collecting the key works of five great freedom philosophers: Leonard Read, Ludwig von Mises, Henry Hazlitt, F.A. Hayek, and Frédéric Bastiat. In each of these compact anthologies, you will find a powerful case for liberty. [Full Article] and Free Downloads of each ebook.

Latest Data from the FBI: Homicides by people using Rifles The latest data from the FBI (2014) shows that ALL types of rifles were only confirmed to have been used to commit 248 homicides, down from 351 in 2009. Also compare that to the total number of all homicides recorded by the FBI (11,961) and that means that ANY sort…

This Ohio School District wants to Protect the Privacy of Its Students, but the Government Won’t Allow it! Despite what the Obama Administration seems to think, America still operates on the understanding that the dignity, privacy, and safety interests of students are safeguarded by providing separate private areas, such as locker rooms, shower facilities, and restrooms, for male and female…

Americans must resist calls from the Left and the Right to curtail individual freedoms in reaction to the atrocity at Orlando gay nightclub Pulse. Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton is urging us to “get back to the spirit of 9/12.” Democrats on Capitol Hill are reviving their defeated gun sales watch list, and they’ve got an enthusiastic ally in Republican Party…

Appeals court: People have no right to carry concealed weapons in Public Last Updated Jun 9, 2016 5:56 PM EDT SAN FRANCISCO — Dealing a blow to gun supporters, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Americans do not have a constitutional right to carry concealed weapons in public. In a dispute that could ultimately wind up before the Supreme…

Have you seen FEE’s latest video that responds to “democratic socialism”? It’s been viewed over 950,000 times on Facebook since we released it on Friday. Will you share this video with your friends to help us reach 1 million views today? goo.gl/2A4X2K

Florida 2015 District and School Grades Here are links to the Florida 2015 67 District grades and the individual school grades from schoolgrades.fldoe.org/. It is also important to understand the grading system. First it is proprietary, which means it is designed just for Florida and tells a very rosy picture vs. the rapidly declining data from nationally-normed tests like the…

K-12 School Proposes Removing Urinals and Making Bathrooms Gender Neutral by Kelsey Harkness, The Daily Signal A nationally ranked Minnesota charter school facing a discrimination complaint by the parents of a former kindergarten transgender student approved a controversial new gender inclusion policy at a school board meeting. While the school board, which consists of a mix of parents, teachers,…

On May 13th, the Department of Justice and Education released this joint guidance to help schools ensure the civil rights of transgender students. It attempts to define why and then lays out “Examples of policies and emerging practices for supporting transgender students”. Furthermore, it openly threatens all public school districts they will lose federal funds if they do not comply….

The supporters of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders seem to believe that “establishment” politicians have stopped listening to “the people” and that their preferred candidate’s policies would reverse that trend. This is an old claim with a dark past. Markets are by far the most effective way to give voice to the broadest number. The United States has a long…

Welcome to the math world our children live in! A Liberal Magazine Just Spilled the Beans about K-12 Education This upscale progressive magazine ran a super-long, super-detailed article titled “The Math Revolution.” It basically wanted to proclaim the happy news that extraordinary things are taking place in American education. [Full Article] goo.gl/qw676j

SHOCK: COURT DELIVERS MASSIVE SECOND AMENDMENT RULING… THIS IS VERY BAD A court in Connecticut ruled Wednesday that a suit against the company that manufactured the gun used in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting could go forward despite a 2005 federal law prohibiting such suits. According to the Washington Examiner, the families of the victims filed suit against the…

It’s high stakes testing time again here in Florida for our public school children. You ask “What’s wrong with Florida Standardized Assessment (FSA)?” Simple answer: it’s “State Sponsored Child Abuse”- oh but that’s inflammatory. “Public schools don’t abuse our kids”. Really, examine the facts: FSA is a Utah-based American Institute for Research high stakes test that received a bogus validation…

Sometimes, when we don’t achieve our “grand plans”, it’s easy to get discouraged and overlook things that we HAVE accomplished. So every now and then, we’ll post some of the positives so that we can appreciate what HAS been accomplished. Appreciating the small things does not mean we intend to scale down our efforts! We’re still fully committed to our…

Florida’s Testing Obsession: Threats, Lies, and the Emotional Toll. The end of March put testing season in Florida into full swing and that means Stress with a capital “S.” Many of Florida parents have dealt with the stresses associated with their own children’s state testing. We tell them “it’s only a test” or “do your best.” Some children…

OBAMA: ‘THERE’S LITTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMUNISM AND CAPITALISM’ – WATCH Absolutely Frightening, beyond belief! Watch this video of President Obama speaking to students in Argentina on his recent visit.

Opponents of School Choice Can’t Make Up Their Minds Public schools, according to the authors, tend to outperform private rivals on a variety of metrics. Such groups as the National Education Association teachers’ union have used this research to make a case against “privatization.” (The book’s research has been criticized in some quarters for using flawed research methods, and other data show that private schools tend to…

Gun Owners of America Backs Cruz: ‘Rubio Owes Cruz an Apology’ on Gun Control Statements When Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) was a local commissioner in Florida in 1999, he voted to ban guns from local parks. Now, politicians make mistakes. And honest politicians “fess up” and move on. Rubio’s problem is that, when Senator Ted Cruz called attention to Rubio’s anti-gun…

URL Link: eSurv.org?u=FL_POST_SC No Password Required to Use This Link and be sure to answer all the questions before clicking SUBMIT. Tell us who you’d vote for today? Are you willing to change your vote to unite behind one candidate? If a conservative candidate is to win in Florida on March 15th, then we must unite around…

OPEN LETTER TO FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL Pam Bondi 2/16/2016 Dear Madam Attorney General, “You wouldn’t be such a tease if you were being properly f*****.” This quote is from the Beautiful Bastard, a 2015 summer reading list recommended for Collier, Lee and Marion County Public School children, beginning with 6th graders. Because the school districts select summer reading material from the same list,…

Florida Citizens Alliance Supporters- we are working Salem Media Group and urge you to consider this event! Join us as we celebrate the influential role, no matter how small or large, that each of you have within the kingdom of God, at the 2016 Christian Women of Influence Luncheon. Come be encouraged and inspired by Dr. Alveda King, a woman unashamed…

Below are the “education bill assessments” for 2016 in the Florida Legislature as of 2.15.2016. It includes our FLCA recommendations and also positions by the Florida Coalition of School Board Members and Americans for Prosperity for your consideration. Here are the links for Phone numbers for the Senate and the House. Florida Citizens Alliance (FLCA) strongly supported Hays SB1018/Pilon HB899….

Homeschooling, Socialization, and the New Groupthink The Not-So-Hidden Agenda of Public Education by B.K. Marcus Homeschooled students are, in fact, more socially resilient and flexible than their conventionally schooled peers — but what if the “socialization” question is code for a very different agenda? “But what about socialization?” We who educate our children outside the school system confront an exhausting…

Not sure why Sheriff Palmer sent this to VP Biden? He should have sent it to President Obama and every US congressman. That said, declaring he will stand up to protect his citizens from an overreaching federal government is huge. Here in Florida, Florida Citizens Alliance has worked tirelessly for the past 3 years to get Florida Legislators to do…

Steve Bracci Assessment: Check out this excerpt about House Bill 1021 (attorney’s fees in Public Records Request). Even the Legislature’s own backup analysis admits that under current law, the Circuit Court and District Court of Appeal denied fees when the process was being abused by people who were just trying to create causes of action for attorney’s fees. So why…

Yesterday a federal appeals court cast doubt on the constitutionality of Maryland’s “assault weapon” ban, concluding that the law imposes a “substantial burden” on the exercise of the right to keep and bear arms and should therefore be subject to “strict scrutiny.” The decision, by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, sends the…

Editorial comment to supporters: this is not an issue we have focused on but it will clearly have a direct effect on your and my ability to get public records and will impact our ability to hold our School Boards accountable! We urge you to call these 2 committee chairs Garcia and Steube to urge they withdraw these bills. EnforceSunshine,…

Legislative session is about to wrap up, yet vital education legislation has been sidelined by Education Committee Chairs Senator Legg and Representative O’Toole. Here is a quick recap: In July Gov Scott signed into law (FS. 1006.283) the K-12 Curriculum Bill sponsored by Senator Hays(SB 864). Its purpose was to assign each school board the constitutional responsibility to select and…

Feb 2, 2016: A Open Letter to Senator Legg and Representative O’Toole from Janet McDonald, Flagler School Board With a record number of cosponsors for SB 1018 and HB899 and a 5 year chorus from parents, teachers, community members and students requesting local decision making to correct inappropriate materials and pedagogy that is embedded in the common core/Florida Standards curriculum/materials/testing…

PROJECT VERITAS EXPOSES $1.3 BILLION BID-RIGGING SCANDAL Video. Editorial Comment: This is the 4th in a series of Project Veritas videos regarding corruption with the National Textbook companies and Common Core. Pearson, PLC has been buying up its competitors and is now the “Big Dog” controlling over 80% of all Textbook and on-line k-12 instructional materials in the US….

The federal government’s “Common Core State Standards” education overhaul has provoked a huge wave of parental activism in children’s education like no other U.S. education policy issue has in the last half-century. [Full Article] Editorial Comment: More and more parents and grandparents are waking up! Are you?

Project Veritas undercover videos of national textbook publishers. This is the same group that did the Planned Parenthood videos. This video makes it very clear why school boards need to require indemnification/warranty from the publishers for all purchased textbooks and materials. Today, IT is about the money, not the children and instructional materials publishers, should be required to produce quality, factual…

January 22, 2016 Florida Citizens Alliance Assessment/Position for the Gaetz Student Assessment Bill, SB 1360. We do not support this bill for the following major reasons: The bill provides for alternative Assessments for Districts and Parents to use a concordant alternative computer based test to FSA. A) It still leaves FSA in play which is a disaster on every front….

Action: Parents and grandparents– ask your children to explain the difference and which is better for their future? You will likely be shocked! A great teaching moment for you and our children: Socialism vs Capitalism

Conservative muckraker group Project Veritas caught a textbook sales executive and a New York teacher talking about Common Core standards. ‘I hate kids,’ confessed the textbook sales leader. ‘I’m in it to sell books. Don’t even kid yourself for a heartbeat’ Hidden camera video shows teacher hammering the program as a ‘bulls**t’ system designed ‘to sell more books’ ‘Oh my…

Important Florida Survey of current Republican Presidential Candidates- absentee ballots go out in 20 days Take this survey and see what your friends and neighbors think: https://eSurv.org?u=FLCA_12 Last July Florida Conservative Citizens United began the effort to unite Florida conservatives in electing the GOP Conservative Candidate of our choice in the Florida Primary. By using our surveys, we have let our…

FairTest National Center for Fair & Open Testing for further information Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773 mobile (239) 699-0468 for immediate release, Wednesday, January 6, 2016 STATE BOARD OF ED. SCHOOL GRADING DEBATE DEMONSTRATES FLORIDA TESTING POLICY IS DRIVEN BY POLITICS AND IDEOLOGY, NOT EDUCATIONAL EVIDENCE OR CHILDREN’S NEEDS Today’s State Board of Education debate demonstrated once again that “many high-stakes…

Call Congress at 202-224-3121 to stop S227 SETRA, the ‪#‎FedEd psych profiling & data mining bill! Demand the removal of psych profiling language and don’t let it be passed w/o a recorded vote! The Florida Stop Common Core Coalition It’s baaack! S 227 SETRA, the federal psych profiling/data mining bill we stopped in February was rammed through the US Senate &…

Second Amendment Advocates React to News of Obama’s Upcoming Town Hall on ‘Guns in America’ — and They Don’t Hold Back President Barack Obama, long an advocate of stricter gun control in the U.S., is teaming up with Anderson Cooper for a one-hour live town hall Thursday on gun control at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. CNN characterized…

Here is an excellent presentation by William Mariannes! SO what are the 4 questions? What are you willing to die for? What are you willing to go to jail for? What are you willing to advocate for? WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO?

It Only Took This Army Vet 3 Minutes To Destroy Obama’s Gun Control Plan Action: Call your Florida Legislators: Senate President Gardiner and Senate Chair Judiciary and tell them to stop sitting on SB 300 (Open Carry) and SB 68 (College Carry). Demand they allow the up or down vote in the Judiciary Committee. CALL starting tomorrow and every day…

OBAMA TO ANNOUNCE NEW EXECUTIVE ACTION ON GUNS President Barack Obama is expected to announce in the coming days a new executive action with the goal of expanding background checks on gun sales, people familiar with White House planning said. Described as “imminent,” the set of executive actions would fulfill a promise by the President to take further unilateral steps…

In the next Families and Education Levy for Seattle, hundreds of millions of dollars are being earmarked for tech upgrades and computers. Needless to say, this is mostly in anticipation of computer testing but it also sets the stage for the use of computers to teach lessons, replacing teachers with the “blended learning” approach that has become the rage with…

Sens. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul lead the pack with A-‘s By Emmett McGroarty on August 19, 2015 Four years ago, Common Core was considered a “done deal,” uncontroversial and approved by Democrats and Republican leaders alike. It had been pushed into 45 states without notice to legislators and parents alike. Today, Common Core and related educational issues of local control of…

Naples Daily News-Brent Batten: Activists look to change “buy” the book procedures What started in Collier County as a disagreement over the way public school textbooks are selected has grown into an issue to be taken up by the Florida Legislature. Bills in the state House and Senate would change the way school districts select classroom material, increasing parental…

Parent letter regarding Florida National Assessment of Educational Progress show that only 26 percent of eight graders scored at the proficient or advanced levels in math Dear School Board, As you know, under Florida law you are responsible for the adoption and approval of the District’s math curriculum and instructional materials. You should also know that math scores for Florida’s eighth…

“No Fly” List” sounds harmless enough but as with all the other government edicts and unconstitutional overreach…. this should concern all of us. Here’s why .. 1) There are unspecified reasons why someone’s name is added to “The List.” In fact, the criterion for determining who is added to the list is totally secret. Not even Congress knows what it is….

Please take 6 short minutes and watch this now! Here is one of Sheriff Ivey’s lines “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun”. Go watch the video and see how our Sheriff takes a stand. Editorial Comment: This is truly amazing and Sheriff Ivey is…

School choice scores another legal win in Florida By TRAVIS PILLOW On DECEMBER 8, 2015 School choice supporters won a legal victory in Florida Monday, as they knocked down some of the arguments in a wide-ranging lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s education system. In a bench ruling, Leon County Circuit Judge George Reynolds rebuffed a constitutional challenge of the state’s tax credit…

FLCA Fully supports this ACTION ALERT! From FLORIDA STOP COMMON CORE COALITION Just before the break, the ESEA bill passed conference committee. The House is planning a vote on the most consequential education bill in 14 years after a holiday on DECEMBER 2nd or 3rd after a holiday when the language will not even be available until Monday 11/30. See below…

Establishment Republicans in Congress are quietly plotting their next massive surrender to the Obama administration, a “bipartisan” education bill that solidifies federal control of schools and keeps Common Core while entrenching a dizzying array of unconstitutional “education” schemes. Among other measures, the legislation re-authorizes most of two widely criticized and totally unconstitutional federal education statutes known as the Elementary and Secondary Education…

Both HB 163 and HB 4001 passed in their respective committees in the House thanks to your support. Stand by for the next alert for the Companion Senate bills. For additional info on the previous successful actions: HB 163 HB 4001

THIS IS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK RED ALERT! Congressional education leaders have reached a behind closed doors framework agreement on the rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently called No Child Left Behind (NCLB). According to Education Week, Congress is poised to ram this through quickly at the end of the year while people are distracted…

The 2014-15 school year marked a big change for many states because they switched to tests that for the first time reflect the Common Core State Standards. Below are the scores from state-mandated mathematics and English/language arts tests given in 2014-15 and in 2013-14 (or the most recent previous year available). [Full Article]

Is common Core an important issue to you? Check out this American Principles in Action Score card for presidential candidates on the Issue of common core goo.gl/GOgCsg and then Join in the florida survey eSurv.org?u=FLCA_11

Scalia: “Liberal” Justices Creating Rights, Leading U.S. to “Destruction” Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (shown) told a crowd at Santa Clara University that the “liberal” Supreme Court was causing the “destruction of our democratic system,” the SF Gate reported on October 29. According to the outspoken associate justice, his colleagues on the high court are creating rights ex nihilo and…

The Arizona Board of Education voted 6-2 Monday to repeal the state’s new Common Core standards. Republican School Superintendent Diane Douglas ran on a platform of blowing up Common Core. She had support from many parents in the audience. A Douglas spokesman said the vote does not end Common Core immediately. He said it allows a board committee to move…

CAFR expert’s brilliant 400 words on US debt: government hides abundance as future liabilities, ‘retirement’ accounts, buying ‘debt’ from each other Walter Burien is the leading expert on Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs). Beginning in 1990, Walter began documenting how governments manipulate their books to hide public money, but reveal part of what they do in CAFRs. [Full article] goo.gl/GHGp4h Editorial Comment:…

On Tuesday the Volusia County School Board members unanimously approved a proposed state legislation​ request titled the “District School Board Educational Innovation and Home Rule Powers Act.” Full Article goo.gl/GC7AW4

A Republican-led House committee in Florida this week approved a measure that could allow students to carry guns and concealed weapons on college campuses — just two months after a shooter injured three people at a Florida State University library.

Coming in with an average SAT reading score of 496, 2012’s graduating seniors have the dubious distinction of having attained the worst reading score since 1972. (For those test-takers of a certain age and test-taking history, “reading” is actually that part we knew as “verbal.”) Regardless of what you call(ed) it, “The average reading score for the Class of 2012…

Recap of Florida Citizens Alliance (FLCA) trip to Tallahassee this past week. For those not aware, the Florida Legislature is in the Committee Week process now. Since this is not an election year, they had their first committee week in Sept. and are meeting 3 weeks in Oct, several weeks in November and again in December. The actual session…

If you think Arne Duncan is controversial, meet his successor Now that Education Secretary Arne Duncan has decided to step down in December, the U.S. Department of Education will be headed by John B. King Jr. And if you thought Duncan was controversial, meet his successor. [Full Article] goo.gl/sLPV7D

Florida’s version of the Common Core education standards and its high-stakes state testing have already cropped up as election issues in recent legislative races, and their political potency is likely to grow heading into 2016. Voters’ anger over education issues could drive the political debate in some state legislative districts — particularly where there are Republican primaries or open seats,…

Parents, students, teachers, administrators and other educational leaders across the state have been questioning the validity and benefit of our educational accountability system for years. The high-stakes system uses standardized test scores to evaluate students, teachers and schools, leading to important decisions such as retention, graduation, and even teacher and administrator pay. In May 2015, based on public concern about…

Nearly half of Florida’s 10th graders would fail the English Language Arts portion of the Florida Standards Assessment this year according to a set of recommended cut scores proposed Monday by Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart. [Read more]